The Final Fantasy
by hikarufan911
Summary: Okay, this story actually has many references to the Final Fantasy series. Basically, the world has been cast into a post-apocalyptic world where we are sent back to the middle ages era of the future. All previous heroes in the series are long gone. The main character, Greg, and his companions must set forth on a journey to save the world and fulfill a destiny set many years ago.


**The Final Fantasy**

_CLANG! The force of the blades clashing together makes sparks fly from them. I jump backwards, onto another rock in the rugged terrain, only to deflect another swipe of his blade. 'Who is this guy?' I think to myself. Another slash from the enemy on my left, and I have blood running down my arm. "Greg!" yells a woman to my left, who is fighting somebody as well. She seems vaguely important to me, but I can't seem to place her. As I look at her, I hear my enemy shift for another attack. When I look back, all I can see is his blade rushing towards my face._

"Gah!" I wake with a start, shivering. My dirty blond hair slightly covers my eyes when I open them. As I brush my bangs away from my azure eyes, I notice that sunlight is streaming through the blinds in my room. I feel my arm for a mark, but of course it is fine. "That dream again…" As I get up, I notice the sweat that has accumulated on my brow. I go into the washroom, and wipe my face with a damp cloth. I start to head back to my room when I notice the side of the door with scratches and numbers inscribed into the wood. I stand next to it and measure myself. "Hmm… six feet… it seems like I just won't stop growing." I walk away from the doorway to open the blinds in my small room.

Sunlight blinds me for a second, and then the bustling streets of Upham come alive to my eyes. I smile, looking at a woman with long, red hair walking towards our store. I've known her for the longest time. Her name is Stephanie, and she's absolutely the best person I've ever met. As she's walking towards the door, I lean out the window to keep watching her. "Greg!" my mother yells.

I startle, lose my footing, and fall out the window. "Aah!" I just barely catch the ledge on my window, and am pulling myself up, but all I hear is silence and Stephanie below me. "Uh… 'morning Stephanie, everyone!" I greet the group sheepishly.

"Are you okay, Greg?" Stephanie calls up to me.

Yeah, I'm hanging off of a ledge of a window that is two stories up. I'm perfectly fine. "Yeah, I guess I'm okay. How's your morning coming along?"

"Oh! It's going great! I'm actually on my way to the square to pick up some groceries. Do you want to come with me?" she asks me.

"Of course!" I say a little too enthusiastically. When she giggles, I blush a little and tell her I'll be right down. As I pull myself up into my room, I hear the bell ring downstairs signaling that somebody has entered the store. We are owners of a forge that makes weapons for the Royal Guard. But we still make weapons for other people who can afford them. I run downstairs, slipping on the last step and falling on my face. "Oww…" I get up and feel throbbing on my forehead, a lump forming.

"Oh! Are you all right?!" Stephanie asks while running over to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I say, looking at her.

"Oh, thank heavens! I thought something serious had happened!" she picks me up, hugging my face. My legs turn to jelly, face turning bright red as I repeatedly tap her shoulder, unable to talk. It takes a while, but she finally understands the message. I fall backwards, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry!" she says while helping me up.

"Ugh… It's no problem, really. Anyway, shall we take leave?"

"Yes!" she exclaims with a big smile on her face. As I said, she's one of the nicest people I've met. She's just a little… emotional.

I go into the kitchen to tell my mother I'm going to the square with Stephanie. "Wait!" she says. "What about your birthday?" My birthday… I had completely forgotten.

"Oh yeah… Hey Steph, do you want to stay for a while and help my mother around the house while I go work with dad?" I ask with a wink.

"Sure! I have time to spare!" she says, eyes gleaming at me.

"Sounds good. Well, I guess I'll see you two in a little while. Play nice!" I say sarcastically, with a playful punch on my arm from Stephanie. I leave for the forge in the back of the house, and meet my father there. "Hey, dad. Anything need to be done?" He only tells me to start on the usual. So I go to the stove and get the coals ready.

When they're hot enough, I get the iron and start melting it, and then I pour the molten iron into a mold of a sword for trainees. As I work, I start to recall my times training with my father with one of these swords, and making my own sword after that. When the iron cools, I lift it from the mold, take it to the anvil and hammer it to a point, then bring it to the grinder to sharpen it. Then I grab a hilt and hammer the blade in gingerly. I do this for a few hours, and then my mother calls us in. My father goes inside, telling me to hurry up with the blade I'm currently working on. When I do, I walk into the room and am amazed at what I see. A three layer cake, embroidered with lacy edges, stands in the middle of our table surrounded by 5 gifts, and my best friend Austin came!

"'Sup, man?" says Austin.

"Austin! I haven't seen you in ages!" I exclaim.

"Yeah, I've been busy with the armory." Austin's folks also run a forge. They make some beautiful pieces, too.

"How's business been so far?" asks Stephanie.

"It's just been the Royal Guard so far. My folks are hoping it'll pick up soon."

"Okay, enough chitchat! We have a birthday celebration to kick off!" says my mother. They sing Happy Birthday to me, and then we all eat cake, put on some music, and dance around for a little while. It's a great time. Then we open the gifts. I choose the first one in the pile. It contains a pair of leather boots, which I needed desperately.

"Thanks!" I say. The next one contains a cape, of which when I put it on, it feels like nobody can harm me. "Wow… This is amazing!" I exclaim.

Stephanie blushes and looks at me shyly. "Thanks… I picked it up in the square for you today when I grabbed the groceries."

"Crap! I'm so sorry, Stephanie! I forgot!" I apologize.

"It's okay, really! I'm just glad you like it." She says happily.

At this point, Austin is laughing while sitting next to me. "Greg and Stephanie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G". I punch him in the arm, knocking him off the chair. "Ha! Calm down, man!" Then everybody starts laughing. The next gift contains a pair of iron gauntlets. "You're welcome!" says Austin.

"Geez… Give me time to thank you, why don't you?" I say jokingly. "But seriously, they look great!" The fourth gift contains a few potions inside. I take a sip from one of them, and all my injuries from today fade away. My bump on my forehead, the cuts and burns from the forge, all gone instantly. "Sweet, these are health potions! Thanks, these will come in handy!"

The last and final gift is a coin purse containing 2000 gil with a note. It reads:

Bring back peace unto the land, Chosen Ones. The time is nigh.

-King Edward

A note from the King! I read the note over and over trying to decipher its meaning. I hand it to my friends, but they have no clue as to what it means either. _'Isn't the land already peaceful enough?'_ I think to myself. I hand the note over to my parents, and as they read it, their faces become more horrified. "Oh no… Not yet! He's still so young! He just turned 18!" My mother exclaims.

"Wait, what are you guys talking about? What don't you want to happen yet?" I ask her.

My father looks at me somberly. "Son… There's something you need to know…"


End file.
